Bill to make Corvette the Official Car of Kentucky killed to snub GM?

General Motors has been cranking out the Chevrolet Corvette in Bowling Green, Kentucky since 1981, employing around 500 people at the same time. Early in this year's legislative season, Bowling Green Representative Jody Richards introduced a bill into the state House of Representatives to name the Corvette the official Kentucky state car. But that was before GM came out in opposition of legislation that would force the company to give former General Motors dealers first dibs on new franchise opportunities.

Now both the House bill and a similar piece of legislation in the Kentucky Senate have been sent to committee to die a slow, painful death. Why? No one knows for sure, or at least they aren't willing to go on record and give any solid reason. If you believe Representative C.B. Embry Jr., who had introduced similar legislation back in 2007, the move is a snub to GM for closing a number of dealerships in the state last year as part of the company's post-bankruptcy restructuring plan. There's still a chance either bill will pass, but with scant few days left before a legislative recess, it doesn't look good.

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Anonymous

Anonymous

4 Years Ago

As a lifelong resident of Kentucky I can't sit here and listen to people continue to claim that all Kentuckians are proud that Corvettes are made here. Hear me loud and clear, I love Corvettes just as much as the next person, but it doesn't take 500 rocket scientists to work in a mostly automated assembly plant. Therefore ANY other state could have this factory and trying to make the Vette the state car would be equally ridiculous. Only people in Bowling Green (dumbasses) care that the Vette is made there. I'm from Louisville and have never once thought about naming the Explorer or F Series trucks the official state vehicle. STOP WASTING MY TAX MONEY AND SPEND TIME SOLVING REAL PROBLEMS. I'm done now.

Anonymous

Anonymous

Anonymous

4 Years Ago

Do not care one way or the other about the state car thing. But the politicians responses prove once again that there has to be a better way to run a government than having to elect idiots or people that turn into idiots after elected.

Anonymous

4 Years Ago

Perhaps the Ford Super Duty should be the official car of Kentucky. Production and sales of those dwarf that of the Corvette. Perhaps the Explorer or upcoming Kuga could be in consideration as they are also products of Kentucky.

Perhaps America's default automobile the Toyota Camry could be the Vehicle of the Commonwealth, since during its production run at TMMK it has been a consistent top seller. The Corvette is simply too impractical to be consistent with the values of the people of who bring you Hillerich and Bradsby, Papa Johns, Long John Silvers, KFC, all those magnificent whiskys, and built their own parkway system when the Eisenhower Interstate system passed them by.